NZ Warriors.....a year later

[Wizardman]

In 2011, the Warriors made the grand final in all three grades. Look at what a difference a year makes.

First grade: Lost 4 - 45

Toyota Cup: Lost 10 - 40

NSW Cup: Lost 14 - 64

Who gets the blame?

 

[innsaneink]

Ryles!

 

[Frailty]

To be fair, their Toyota Cup team is on top of the ladder...

And they are 3 wins behind where they were last year.

 

[BunniesMan]

You're sucking in 1st grade and reserves but you're on top of Toyota cup...

 

[Loudstrat]

To be fair, their Toyota Cup team is on top of the ladder...

And they are 3 wins behind where they were last year.

I remember similar days at Parra. We got universally panned.

The Warriors are potentially premiers. But f*ck me they are awfully inconsistent. It is getting to the stage where the Warriors in the finals is a f*cking waste of space at the expense of another side who might get some consistency.

If Parra beat Wests tomorrow we are only 3 wins off 8th. 3 wins short is a gulf.

 

[hitman82]

Main problem: too many inexperienced players... and the experienced players we DO have, always seem to be out injured. We made a big mistake ditching so many veterans last season.

Also remember we made last year's grand final on the back of an epic late season charge and the breakout of Johnson and Locke. Some would say it was lucky / flukish.

In a couple of season's time, this squad will be dominant. At the moment they're too inexperienced to apply themselves with consistency... not to mention we have a rookie NRL coach.

 

[BunniesMan]

And as they get dominant they'll be split apart. It's already started with losing players. "Dominant" teams just don't happen anymore. The only time a team has been truly dominant the last decade, they've been cap cheats. All the teams that don't cheat the cap lose their players before they become dominant.

 

[Mr Saab]

Are you posting using the police computer bunniesderp

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

In the NRL it's a very fine line between success and failure. As Hitman pointed out, inexperience has been a huge issue. We had a young squad which got younger as our experienced players got taken out.

The Vulcans have been a victim of a few things. First off the loss of players has hurt them a fair bit. Some were signed to other clubs while others chose to represent local teams as it pays better than the Vulcans. The flow on effect from first grade has also hurt them. Last year when the first grade team went on a run it also coincided with us getting injured players back and being almost full strength. At least 2/3 of the Vulcans GF team are either injured or moved on. Bring Mannering, Luck, Rapira Sr, Hurrell, Ropati back into first grade and the Vulcans get better by default due to players filtering back.

NYC had a shit game yesterday, but they still sit up top. They looked lethargic and did everything they could to hand the game to an enthusiastic and disiciplines Sharks side. Hard to see them playing that badly again.

Been a bad year, a mixture of bad luck and an over reliance on youngsters. Up until the Cronulla game we had competed in the majority of games we played. Going into yesterday we had led at halftime of 5 out of our last 6 losses. Through a mixture of inexperience, luck, and perhaps a lack of fitness we found a way to lose those games that last year we probably would'nt have. That's the way it goes sometimes.

 

[hitman82]

And as they get dominant they'll be split apart. It's already started with losing players. "Dominant" teams just don't happen anymore. The only time a team has been truly dominant the last decade, they've been cap cheats. All the teams that don't cheat the cap lose their players before they become dominant.

This is true. Somewhat OT, but I'm still fairly bitter Melbourne's contracts weren't torn apart and the squad re-signed from scratch, with rival teams given the opportunity to nab a star or 2. Every time I see Cronk, Smith and Slater perform like clockwork together for the Storm, Queensland or Australia it makes a mockery of the punishment the NRL handed out.

 

[11Straight]

This is true. Somewhat OT, but I'm still fairly bitter Melbourne's contracts weren't torn apart and the squad re-signed from scratch, with rival teams given the opportunity to nab a star or 2. Every time I see Cronk, Smith and Slater perform like clockwork together for the Storm, Queensland or Australia it makes a mockery of the punishment the NRL handed out.

100% agree.

 

[Hanscholo]

I think other teams smell blood, and when the better teams went up a gear after state of origin they were one of the teams that couldn't go with them, and in the NRL when you aren't going up, you are going down.

 

[flamin]

This is true. Somewhat OT, but I'm still fairly bitter Melbourne's contracts weren't torn apart and the squad re-signed from scratch, with rival teams given the opportunity to nab a star or 2. Every time I see Cronk, Smith and Slater perform like clockwork together for the Storm, Queensland or Australia it makes a mockery of the punishment the NRL handed out.

If the contracts were torn apart, the Storm players could all have re-signed with Melbourne at reduced wages. As it turns out, by keeping the contracts in tact, Melbourne have been able to keep Cronk, Slater and Smith - but they lost a lot of other players. The team they have now is extremely different to the one that won the 09 grand final.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

In 2011, the Warriors made the grand final in all three grades. Look at what a difference a year makes.

First grade: Lost 4 - 45

Toyota Cup: Lost 10 - 40

NSW Cup: Lost 14 - 64

Who gets the blame?

:shock: Dont follow the Toyota Cup much but whats going with that score?? For a side thats won the last two comps.

 

[WarriorsFan4Life]

:shock: Dont follow the Toyota Cup much but whats going with that score?? For a side thats won the last two comps.

Just conserving energy for the finals?...

 

[hitman82]

Someone else jokingly raised the point that it was Konrad Hurrell's 21st birthday on Saturday night. Starting to wonder if it's a valid point...

 

[hellteam]

Every year everyone expects the warriors to be good, they are crap. And every year they are expected to be crap, they are good. It's bizarre bro

 

[loveleague]

The south auckland curse was to the fore last night and
this type of pathetic performance will continue unless
there is a change in recruiting and philosophy.
Get rid of mcclennan and vatuvei and start recruiting some
hard nosed aussies and not these big powder puff polynesians
who lack the mental and physical nous to be first grade
footballers. This is the auckland warriors and not the south
auckland warriors and picking people with poor communication
and handling skills will not create a legacy, but leave them
languishing 6-8th. You can throw all the money in the world
at the warriors, but unless you change the philosophy and
start developing a professional attitude and not this ad-lib
who gives a shit sort of footy and eliminate the mediocrity
endorsing back slapping and head patting when an error
is made.
The culture in the team might make for a good prayer service
but players of the ilk of luck and friend are needed to
provide the mental toughness and desire so lacking with
this current rabble.

 

[Wizardman]

They seriously need to think about the future of Manu. I think he needs a new club to find himself again. Tony Williams was worse than Manu once, look at him now.

 

[tangalife]

It was Harrell's 21st two Fridays ago, Manu put it on twitter.